Radiation sensitive programming device using flexible light conductors



Nov. 14, 1967 SRAELY 3,353,026

RADIATION SEN IVE PROGRAMMING DEVICE USING FLEXIBLE LIGHT CONDUCTORSFiled March 11, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 L I I A! I I I ELL- V7425 f 4n fldINVENTOR. M g MAW- away United States Patent 3,353,026 RADIATIONSENSITIVE PROGRAMMING DEVICE USING FLEXIBLE LIGHT CONDUCTORS IlanIsraely, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor to Clary Corporation, SanGabriel, Califi, a corporation of California Filed Mar. 11, 1965, Ser.No. 439,038 6 Claims. (Cl. 250-227) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE sensingdevice.

This invention relates to programming devices and has particularreference to programming devices of the plugboard type wherein the plugconnections may be readily changed or altered as desired.

Such programming devices are generally used in electronic computers,accounting machines and similar equipment. The devices usually comprisea plugboard having a plurality of holes in which are inserted a numberof wire patch cords whose locations determine the particular functionscontrolled during different steps of a programmed operation.

In those cases where the program of operations may be changed from timeto time, a number of plugboards, with wire patch cords arranged thereonto control different operations according to predetermined programs, areprovided. When a different program is to be followed, the appropriateplugboard is inserted into a receiver, causing the projecting ends ofthe patch cords mounted thereon to engage a field of electric contactsor sockets in the receiver so as to establish appropriate circuits.

Although such prior art wire type plugboards are generally satisfactory,they require a certain amount of contact pressure in order to maintainadequate electrical contact between the ends of the patch cords and themating contacts. Although the contact pressure between each electricalcontact and the end of the associated patch cord is relatively light,there may be from 100 to 2000 contacts altogether, thus requiringconsiderable overall force in order to insert the plugboard in thereceiver. This generally requires special clamping devices to insert theplugboard and also requires a rugged and heavy plugboard construction toprevent bowing or warping of the latter during insertion into thereceiver.

Also, because of the large number of contacts involved, the plugboardmust be very accurately constructed and aligned with the receiver inorder to etfect proper engagement of the various patch cords with theassociated contacts. Any bowing or Warping of the plugboard or thereceiver would tend to mis-align at least certain of the contacts, thusresulting in faulty electrical connections.

Further, since a large number of electric contacts are involved,corrosion or dirtoften becomes a problem in establishing properelectrical connections throughout the entire field of contacts. Althoughthis may be minimized by coating the contacts with precious metals, suchas gold or silver, such coatings are relatively expensive and tend towear off after repeated insertions of the plugboard.

Further, due to the direct electrical connections established by wiretype patch cords, diodes are required in most cases to isolate differentcircuits set up by the patch c-ords.

It therefore becomes a principal object of the present invention toovercome the aforementioned problems of prior art plugboard typeprogramming devices.

Another object is to provide a plugboard type programming device inwhich electrical connections are reduced to a minimum.

Another object is to provide a plugboard which may be repeatedly removedand replaced without contact wear.

Another object is to provide a plugboard of the above type in which thenumber of plugable connections for a given area may be increasedconsiderably over that of prior art plugboard devices.

A further object is to reduce the amount of wiring required to connect aprogramming device to appropriate circuits.

A further object is to eliminate the need for circuit isolating devices,such as diodes, in a programming device of the above type.

The manner in which the above and other objects of the invention areaccomplished will be readily understood on reference to the followingspecification when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing,wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a programming device embodying apreferred form of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional elevation view of the programming device.

FIG. 3 is a sectional plan view taken along the line 33 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a sectional plan view taken along the line 44 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken through a portion of theplugboard.

FIG. 6 is a schematic view illustrating a complete programming system.

Referring in detail to the drawings the programming device comprises areceiver board 1 of plastic or similar electrically insulating material.A channel member 2 is attached by screws 3 to the sides and bottom ofthe receiver board. The channel member has its forward flange spacedsufliciently from the board 1 to slideably receive a plubo-ard 4 ofopaque material such as plastic. The plug board is substantially of thesame width as the board 1 whereby it may be accurately located inface-to-face relation with the former by the channel member.

A plurality of recesses 5 are formed in the receiver board 1 in whichare located elongated glow lamps 6. Each lamp is held in place by a pairof spring clips 7 which yieldably engage opposite ends of the lamp. Theclips form electric terminals to connect the lamps to conductors 8connected in circuit, through amplifiers 10, to respective terminals ofa suitable electronic stepping circuit 11, which may be of conventionalconstruction.

A series of spaced openings 12 extend from each of the recesses 5 to thefront surface 13 of the receiver board.

A plurality of photo-sensing devices 14 are located in recesses 15formed in the front surface 13 of the receiver board, as seen in FIG. 4.Such devices are formed of sheet material, the front surface of which ispreferably located below the front surface of the board 1. These devicesmay be of either the photo-conductive type such as cadmium sulphide,cadmium selenide or lead sulphide, or they may be of the photo-voltaictype such as silicon, gallium arsenide, indium antimonide or indiumarsenide.

The photo-sensitive devices 14 are connected through amplifying circuits16 (FIG. 6) to suitable function control circuits. For example, aportion of such circuitry is shown as including an add control circuit17, a subtract control circuit 18, a sub-total control circuit 20 and atotal control circuit 21.

When the pluboard is inserted in the channel member it will bemaintained directly adjacent the receiver board to prevent light fromdifferent ones of the lamps 6 from impinging on the photo-sensingdevices 14, except through light conductors to be described presently.Also, when the plugboard is in place, one series of holes 22 extendingtherethrough are aligned with the openings 12 and another series ofholes are aligned with the photo-sensing devices 14.

As seen in FIGS. 1 and 3, the holes in the plugboard associated with thephoto-sensing devices are arranged in sub-groups, i.e. 24, 25, etc.,each comprising five vertical columns of holes and five horizontal rowsof holes, The

remainder of the holes are arranged in groups of five vertical columnsof holes, each hole aligned with an opening 12 of a respective one ofthe glow lamps 6.

Referring to FIG. 5, each of the holes 22 in the plugboard is taperedslightlyas shown at 27 to receive a suitably shaped end formation 28 ofa flexible light conductor 30; The latter may be formed of fibre opticmaterial or flexible transparent plastic material having both endsshaped similar to that shown at 28.

One end of each of the conductors 30 is inserted into an appropriatehole 22 associated with one of the lamps 6 and the other end isinserted. in a hole associated with one of the photo-sensing devices,depending upon the function control. circuit to be energized when theassociated lamp is illuminated. The tapered ends of the conductors andmating hole formations in the plugboard prevent inadvertent withdrawalof the conductors due to vibration, jarring, etc.

Upon initiation of operation of the computer, accounting machine orother equipment to which the programming device is electricallyconnected, the stepping circuit 11 is stepped into an initial positioncausing an initial one of the lamps 6 to be illuminated. Accordingly,the latter will transmit light rays through one or more of theconductors 30 aligned therewith, thereby transmitting a light beam toone or more of the photo-sensing devices depending on where the oppositeends of such conductors are located.

On completion of a computing operation, a signal will be transmitted toan input terminal 31 of the stepping device 11 to advance the same so asto illuminate the next succeeding lamp 6 and to de-energize thecurrently energized lamp. This will cause energization of one or moredifferent control circuits depending upon the arrangement of the lightconductors. This procedure will be repeated until all steps in theprogram have been transversed, i.e., until all of the lamps have beensuccessively illuminated.

Suitable light shielding means (not shown) are preferably provided toprevent stray or ambient light from energizing the different lightsensing devices.

Different programs can be readily set up by removing a currentlyinserted plugboard and substituting others having their light conductors30 prearranged to control the program device according to desiredprograms. Likewise, a program board can be readily modified by merelywithdrawing one or more of the conductors 30 at either end and replacingit as desired.

It will be noted that the conductors need be only on the order of indiameter and do not require a large contact head at their opposite ends,Accordingly, a large number of such conductors may be located in arelatively small area, thereby reducing the overall size of theprogramming device.

The term light is intended to encompass various forms of radiant energy,for example, ultra-violet and infra-red rays.

Although the invention has been described in detail and certain termsand languages have been used, it is to be understood that the presentdisclosure is illustrative rather than restrictive and that changes andmodifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope ofthe invention as set forth in the claims appended hereto.

Having thus described the invention what is desired to be secured byUnited States Letters Patent is:

1. A program device comprising a receiver board having a contactingsurface,

a plurality of photo-sensing devices carried by said board, a pluralityof light sources carried by said board, a plugboard having a contactingsurface, means for removably locating said plugboard with saidcontacting surface thereof in contact with said contacting surface ofsaid receiver board, said plugboard having a first series of holestherethrough registerable with certain of said light sources and asecond series of holes registerable with certain of said photo-sensing.devices, and at least one flexible light conductor, said light conductorbeing insertable at one end thereof in any one of said first series ofholes and being insertable at its opposite end in any of said secondseries of holes. 2. A program device comprising a receiver board havingat least one plane surface,

a plurality of photo-sensing devices carried by said boa-rd, a pluralityof light sources carried by said board, a plugboard having at least oneplane surface, means for removably locating said plugboard with saidplane surface thereof in contact with said plane surface of saidreceiver board, said plugboard having a series of holes therethrough.registerable with certain of said light sources and a second series ofholes registerable with certain of said. photo-sensing devices, and atleast one flexible light conductor, said light conductor beinginsertable at one end thereof in any one of said first series of holesand being insertable at its opposite end in any of said second series ofholes. 3. A program device comprising a receiver board having at leastone plane surface,

a plurality of photo-sensing devices carried by said board, a pluralityof light sources. carried by said board, a plugboard having at least oneplane surface, means for removably locating said plugboard with saidplane surface thereof in contact with said Plane surface of saidreceiver board, said plugboard having a first and second seriesof holestherethrough, said light sources each spanning a plurality of said firstseries of holes, said photo-sensing devices each spanning a plurality ofsaid second series of holes, and at least one flexible light conductor,said lightconductor being insertable at one end thereof in any one ofsaid first series of holes and being insertable at its opposite end inany of said second series of holes. 4. A programming device comprising areceiver board havng a front and rear surface,

a plurality of light sources supported by said board adjacent said rearsurface, said board having a plurality of openings communicating saidfront surface with said lamps, said board having a plurality of recessestherein accessible from the front surface thereof, photo-sensing devicesin said recesses, a plugboard, means for removably locating saidplugboard adjacent said front surface of said receiver board, saidplugboard having a first and second series of holes therethrough, saidfirst series of holes communicating with said openings and said secondseries of holes communicating with said recesses, and

5 6 at least one flexible light conductor, ings and said second seriesof holes communicating said light conductor being insertable at one endthereof with said second plurality of recesses, and

in any one of said first series of holes and being inat least oneflexible light conductor, sertable at its opposite end in any of saidsecond se said light conductor being insertable at one end thereof riesof holes. 5 in any one of said first series of holes and being in- 5. Aprogramming device comprising a receiver board seftable at its pp end yof Said Second ries of holes. 6. A programming device according to claim5 wherein said holes and the ends of said conductor are correspondinglytapered.

having a front and rear surface,

said board having a plurality of recesses therein accessible from saidrear surface and a plurality of openings communicating said frontsurface with each of 10 said recesses, light sources in respective onesof said recesses,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS said board having a secondplurality of recesses therein 2,614,226 10/ 1952 Davis 250227 Xaccessible from the front surface thereof, 15 2,982,175 5/1961 Eisler250227 X photo-sensing devices in said last mentioned recesses,3,213,179 10/1965 (315115011 X a plugboard 3,303,374 2/ 1967 Fy'ler250227 X means for removably locating said plugboard in com OTHERREFERENCES tact with Said from surface of said receiver boardBrandenberg: IBM Technical Disclosure Bull. vol. 5 said plugboard havinga first and second series of holes 20 June 1962,

therethrough,

said first series of holes communicating with said open- WALTERSTOLWEIN, Primary Examiner.

5. A PROGRAMMING DEVICE COMPRISING A RECEIVER BOARD HAVING A FRONT ANDREAR SURFACE, SAID BOARD HAVING A PLURALITY OF RECESSES THEREINACCESSIBLE FROM SAID REAR SURFACE AND A PLURALITY OF OPENINGSCOMMUNICATING SAID FRONT SURFACE WITH EACH OF SAID RECESSES, LIGHTSOURCES IN RESPECTIVE ONES OF SAID RECESSES, SAID BOARD HAVING A SECONDPLURALITY OF RECESSES THEREIN ACCESSIBLE FROM THE FRONT SURFACE THEREOF,PHOTO-SENSING DEVICES IN SAID LAST MENTIONED RECESSES, A PLUGBOARD,MEANS FOR REMOVABLY LOCATING SAID PLUGBOARD IN CONTACT WITH SAID FRONTSURFACE OF SAID RECEIVER BOARD, SAID PLUGBOARD HAVING A FIRST AND SECONDSERIES OF HOLES THERETHROUGH, SAID FIRST SERIES OF HOLES COMMUNICATINGWITH SAID OPENINGS AND SAID SECOND SERIES OF HOLES COMMUNICATING WITHSAID SECOND PLURALITY OF RECESSES, AND AT LEAST ONE FLEXIBLE LIGHTCONDUCTOR, SAID LIGHT CONDUCTOR BEING INSERTABLE AT ONE END THEREOF INANY ONE OF SAID FIRST SERIES OF HOLES AND BEING INSERTABLE AT ITSOPPOSITE END IN ANY OF SAID SECOND SERIES OF HOLES.